Typographical machine



Dec. 27, 1938. E. M. GOODBODY TYPOGRAPHI CAL MACHINE Filed July 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M Gaoasooy BY & ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. M. GOODBODY TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Filed July 26, 1957 Dec. 27, 1938.

' I INVENTOR /7 .ZbMu/v a/Z Gooaaoar B 4 5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Application July 26, 1937, Serial No. 155,766

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in typographical machines, and more particularly line casting machines of the general class disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532

granted September 16, 1890, for producing type bars 'or slugs from character bearing matrices which are selected from suitable storage receptacles and assembled into lines and the lines then delivered into a Vertically movable line trans- 10 porter or so-called first elevator which descends to present the characters on the edges of the matrices to the front of the casting slot of a mold which, at the proper time, advances against the matrices, and after the slug has been cast,

the mold retreats and the transporter rises to a position where the matrix line is removed endwise therefrom for distribution of the matrices to their proper places of storage.

The line receiving portion of the transporter or first elevator, as ordinarily constructed, comprises front and rear wall members having rails on their opposed inner faces on which the matrices hang edgewise by their upper projecting ears. Such wall members are secured together at one end but spaced apart a distance greater than the edgewise width of the matrices across their upper ears so that the matrices will have sufficient play to move freely in an endwise di- 1 rection when the line is vjustified between the usual vise jaws and when the line is shifted endwise by the action of centering and quadding devices as now extensively used in machines of this class for locating the line at different positions along the mold slot prior to the casting operation.

It has been found, however, that to provide for free endwise movement of the matrices, the amount of lateral or edgewise play or looseness necessary to leave between the walls of the ele- 4O vator and also between the front of the mold and the casting edges of the matrices is responsible for' a faulty condition of long standing wherein the matrices or at least some of them do not always contact with or lock up squarely against the front of the mold. This faulty condition is explained by the following actions which are peculiar to machines of this class:-

When the first elevator descends, it presents the matrices with their characters about .010" below the level of the mold slot and with their lower rear cars a corresponding distance below the level of the usual matrix alining rib on the mold. With the matrix line supported at that level, the mold is free to advance without striking of its alining rib against the lower ears of the matrices thereafter the first elevator is lifted so as to 10 bring the lower rear ears of the matrices yieldingly but firmly against the horizontal alining rib on the mold. The mold is then further advanced to take up the .010" lateral play or looseness and thus bring its front face firmly against the cast- 15 ing edges of the matrices to provide the required metal tight seal of the mold slot at the front thereof preparatory to casting. However, since the upward yielding force applied to the first elevator continues to act during this final ad- 20 Vance of the mold, the firm engagement of the alining rib against the lower rear ears of the matrices results in forcing the lower ends of the matrices away from the front face of the mold so that they assume an inclined position with re- 25 spect to said mold face. Moreover, since the matrix line at this time is tightly clamped endwise due to its being justified as usual between a pair of so-called vise jaws, it rarely happens that contact of the front face of the advancing 30 mold with the rear or casting edges of the matrices will force the latter back into a vertical position. With the matrices thus inclined in relation to the front face of the mold, it is obvious that they will not form a perfect seal against 5 the escape of molten metal which is forcibly injected into the rear of the casting slot, as takes place in the casting of the type bar or slug, and the metal which thus escapes at the front of the mold, even though it may be in only minute quantities at any one casting operation, instantly chills and frequently adheres to the front of the mold or to the mold engaging faces of the vise jaws or to the matrices themselves. Such accumulation of metal particles further aggravates 45 the difficulty of securing a metal tight lock-up between the mold, matrices and vise jaws.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing faulty condition by taking up the lateral or edgewise play or looseness of the 5 matrices hanging in the first elevator prior to their engagement with the mold. More specifically, the invention provides means, in the form of a spring pressed rail, adapted to crowd the matrices edgewise in a direction away from 5 the mold and against the front wall of the first elevator, before the mold makes its final advance, so that the matrices will have no lateral or edgewise freedom in a direction forwardly away from the mold and they therefore cannot be rocked into an inclined position notwithstanding the contact between their lower rear ears and the alining rib on the mold. In the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the present instance, the spring pressed rail is located in the rear wall of the elevator in such a position as to apply pressure against the upper rear ears of the matrices, whether delivered into the elevator in the normal alinement position as shown or in the upper alinement position usually provided in machines of this class.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the first elevator and mold, showing the normal position in which a line of matrices is presented by the first elevator to the mold before the latter has fully advanced against the matrices in order that the matrices will be free to move endwise when the line is justlfied;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but shows the mold in its fully advanced position and illustrates the faulty condition in which the matrices are forced into an inclined position during the final advance of the mold to take up the edgewise play or clearance shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the first elevator and a mold similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but shows the present invention applied to the rear wall of the first elevator for retaining the matrices squarely therein;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rear wall of the first elevator as viewed from the front, showing the spring pressed rail in said wall in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 55 in Fig. 4.

The invention is shown applied to the line transporter or first elevator of a typographical machine of the well known class hereinbefore referred to, I and 2 designating the front and rear walls respectively of such first elevator. In the operation of conventionalmachines of this class, the composed line of matrices M is delivered into the first elevator between the front and rear walls I and 2 thereof, these walls being provided respectively with rails 3 and 4 on which the matrices hang by their upper projecting ears m in well known manner, after which the elevator descends to the position shown in Fig. 1 to present the line of matrices to the front of the mold 5. The descent of the elevator is sufficient to carry the upper edge mf of the lower rear ears of the matrices about .010" below the alining rib which extends across the front of the mold, the clearance thus provided permitting the mold to advance toward the matrices without danger of striking or binding against the edges m of the matrix ears and providing freedom in a vertical direction for endwise movement of the matrices during justification. The matrices are so constructed that the type forming characters 172 punched on their casting edges will aline with the casting slot 9 in the mold only after the aforesaid clearance is taken up by lifting of the line of matrices. After the matrix line is presented in front of the mold with said clearance, the mold advances to the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein about .010" of edgewise or lateral play is provided for the matrices between the front face I0 of the mold and the inner or rear face II of the front wall I of the elevator. This lateral play, together with the lateral clearance between the vertical sides of the upper ears m of the matrices and the adjacent front and rear walls I and 2 of the elevator, as well as the clearance between the edges m of the lower matrix ears and the rib I on the mold, provides the necessary freedom to permit the matrices to move endwise without binding or cramping when the line is expanded or justified by the usual wedge spacebands commonly employed in machines of this class. Subsequent to the endwise expansion or justification of the line, the first elevator is raised, under yielding pressure, to take up the clearance between the edges m of the lower rear matrix ears and the alining rib I- on the mold and thereby aline the matrix characters m with the mold slot 9. Immediately following this upward movement of the first elevator, the mold makes its final advance in order to take up the .010" lateral play and to bring its front face IOfirmly against the casting edges of the matrices.

The foregoing actions of the machine and the construction and operation of the parts for bringing them about, are well known to those skilled in the art, and it is believed unnecessary to explain the same in further detail. It is important, however, to note that the first elevator is raised to take up the vertical clearance between the edges m of the lower rear ears of the matrices and the alining rib I prior to thefinal advance of the mold to take up the edgewise or lateral play of the matrices and effect metal tight engagement between the front face of the mold and the casting edges of thematrices, this fact bringing about the faulty condition illustrated in Fig. 2. Thus, due to the .010 edgewise or lateral play, it is obvious that some or all of the matrices may stand away from the wall II after the line is justified and the elevator has been raised to bring the edges m of the lower rear ears of the matrices into engagement with the rib I on the mold. When the final advance of the mold subsequently takes place to take up this lateral play, the upward yielding pressure of the edges m of the lower rear matrix ears. against the rib I prevents free sliding of said rib onsaid matrix ears. The lateral play, however, permits the matrices to move, but since at this time the line is clamped tightly endwise between the usual vise jaws, the tendencyis for the matrices to rock into an inclined position relatively to the front face of the mold, substantially as shown in Fig. 2, rather than to move squarely into contact with the wall II in the elevator. This tendency of the matrices to rock ispromoted by the upward pressure of the rear rail 4 of the first ele-.

of a line containing a very few. matrices, toforce the matrices back into a truly vertical position against the wall II in the elevator.

According to the present invention, the normal actions of thev machine hereinbefore referred to are preserved, but means is provided for maintaining the matrices squarely against the front wall ll of the first elevator so that, notwithstanding the yielding pressure between the rib 1 and the edges m of the lower matrix ears, there will be no freedom for rocking movement of the lower ends of the matrices in a direction away from the mold as the latter makes its final .010 advance toward the matrix line.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the present instance, the rear wall 2 of the first elevator is provided at its inner side with a longitudinal recess l3, and a spring pressed rail I4 is inserted into such recess, said rail being so located that it frictionally engages the vertical edges of the upper rear ears m of the matrices and being provided with springs l5 which are only of such strength as necessary to keep the matrices pressed edgewise into engagement with the front wall I l of the elevator without offering undue resistance to the endwise sliding of the matrices along the rails 3 and 4 of the elevator. 'Ihe'rail I4 is tapered or inclined at its inner face, as at l6, which is the end of the rail over which the matrices first pass in entering the elevator. Suitable means is provided to limit the projection of the rail l4 inwardly toward the front wall II of the elevator, shouldered studs I! being provided for this purpose in the present instance, these studs being secured to the rail as by riveting and being freely movable in bores IS in the rear wall 2 of the elevator.

It will be seen, by referring to Fig. 3, that the rail l4 holds the matrices squarely against the front wall I I of the first elevator. In this figure, the elevator has raised the matrix line as usual so that the edges m of the lower rear ears of the matrices are yieldingly pressed upwardly against the alining rib l on the mold, and the mold has nearly completed its final advance toward the matrices, but owing to the fact that the front edges of the matrices are already engaged against the wall H, the friction of the rib 1 against the edges m of the lower rear matrix ears cannot produce any rocking movement of the matrices. Moreover, since the line at this time is tightly clamped endwise and any rocking movement would have to take place about the lower edge ll as a fulcrum point, which fulcrum point would be opposed to and nearly in horizontal alinement with the edges m of the matrix ears, any tendency to produce the objectionable rocking movement of the matrices hereinbefore referred to is effectively avoided.

It will be understood, of course, that when the matrix line is at the upper alinement position in the line transporter or first elevator, the matrices will be supported on the rail 6 therein by their front lower ears m and the rear lower ears m will be brought up into engagement with the alining rib 'l on the face of the mold, as is usual in casting type bars or slugs from two letter matrices, but the spring pressed rail l4 will engage the upper rear ears on the matrices when so positioned and will operate to hold the front edges of the matrices squarely in engagement with the inner vertical face I I of the front wall of the line transporter, and rocking of the matrices incident to the final advance or look up movement of the mold face against the rear edges of the matrices will be effectively avoided or prevented in the same manner as hereinbefore described with respect to matrix lines at the normal alinement position in the transporter.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the spring rail according to the present invention, located to press the matrices forwardly with their edges squarely against the front wall of the elevator prior to the final advance of the mold, enables the front face of the mold to advance toward and lock up squarely against the casting edges of the matrices and thereby produce an effective lock-up against the escape of molten metal at the front of the mold, thus overcoming the faulty condition hereinbefore referred to and which has existed for a long time in machines of this type.

I claim as my invention:

1. In or for a line casting machine embodying a matrix line transporter having front and rear wall members with opposed relatively fixed vertical inner faces spaced apart a distance greater than the edgewise width of the matrices and rails projecting from said faces for supporting the matrices with their edges parallel thereto, an element arranged to act yieldingly on the rear edges of the matrices while supported on said rails to retain them edgewise against the vertical face of said front wall member.

2. In or for a line casting machine embodying a line transporter comprising relatively fixed front and rear wall members having rails on their opposed inner faces for supporting a line of matrices edgewise thereon and having a space between said faces greater than the edgewise width of the matrices, a yieldable element projecting from the rear wall member adapted to push the matrices into contact edgewise with the inner face of said front wall member.

3. In or for a line casting machine, the combination of a matrix line transporter having opposed relatively fixed vertical front and rear walls provided with rails for supporting matrices edgewise thereon with lateral play between said walls, a mold having a vertical front face and movable into engagement with the rear edges of the matrices, and a member movably mounted in the rear wall of the transporter and adapted when moved toward the front wall to engage the rear edges of the matrices to hold them against lateral movement away from said front wall of the transporter. prior to engagement of the matrices with the face of the mold.

4. In or for a line casting machine, the combination of a mold having a matrix engaging face and a matrix-alining rib, a line transporter for presenting to said mold a line of matrices each having upper and lower ears projecting from its edges, said line transporter comprising front and rear walls spaced apart a distance greater than the edgewise width of the matrices and rails for supporting the matrices by their ears, the front wall of the transporter having a face which is rigid and parallel to the front face of the mold and engageable with the front edges of the matrices, the mold being movable to bring its face into engagement with the rear edges of the matrices while the alining rib thereon is in engagement with the upper edges of lower ears on the matrices, and means acting on the rear upper ears on the matrices and operative to hold the front edges of the matrices in engagement with said rigid face of the front wall of the line transporter.

5. In or for a line casting machine embodying a matrix line transporter having front and rear wallsspaced apart a distance greater than theedgewise width ofmatrices having upper and lower projecting ears, said front wall presenting a rigid vertical face for engagement with the front edges of the-matrices, rails for supporting the matrices by their ears, and a mold having; a verticalv face movable into engagement with the rear edges of the matrices and havinga rigid vertical face for engagement with the front edges of the matrices, rails for supporting the matrices by their ears, and a mold having a vertical face movable into engagement with the rear edges of the matrices and having an alining ribfor engagement with the upper edges of lower ears on the matrices, and a rail having means for pressing it inwardly from the rear wall of the transporter and against the upper rear ears of the matrices to hold the front edges of the matrices in engagement with the rigid vertical face of the front wall of the transporter.

7. In or for a line casting machine embodying a matrix line transporter having relatively fixed front and rear wall members presenting a passage therebetween with opposed vertical faces spaced apart a distance greater than the edgewise width of the matrices and rails projecting from said faces for supporting the matrices edgewise in said passage, a yieldable member normally projecting into said passage in a position to act on the rear edges of the matrices therein to push them edgewise on their supporting rails into intimate contact edgewise with the vertical face of the front wall member.

8. In or for a line casting machine embodying a matrix line transporter having relatively fixed front and rear members presenting opposed ver tical inner walls spaced apart for the free passage of matrices edgewise therebetween and provided with rails projecting from said walls for, supporting. the matrices with their edges parallel thereto, a yieldable member adapted to project into said passage from the rear vertical wall thereof and engageable with the rear edges of matrices in the free space between said.

opposed walls to prevent lateral movement of the matrices and thereby retain the matrices in intimate contact edgewise with the front vertical wall.

EDMUND M. GOODBODY. 

